How Mark Daigneault kept 100 on OKC’s recent struggles

OKLAHOMA CITY — Head coach Mark Daigneault and the Oklahoma City Thunder they head into the All-Star break 5-6 in their last 11 games. Since his historic 24-1 start, the defending champions’ woes have piled up since losing the All-Star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to an abdominal injury. After missing the first 19 games of the regular season due to wrist surgery, Thunder forward Jaylen Williams re-injured his right hamstring after returning from a 10-game absence.

Still, Daigneault says yes mid-season hurdles are favorable for the rest of his Thunder team, which he says is his team’s best after Thursday’s 110-93 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks.

“We started 24-1. From that point until now, I actually think that part was probably better for us than starting 24-1 and cruising along like we were before,” Daigneault said. “I’m happy we played well. It obviously gave us a good cushion and positioned us well as we went down the stretch. But in terms of building the best team we can be, and getting stronger, improving throughout the season, we’ve had to deal with adversity.”

“We had to solve a lot of problems. We had to be very adaptable; we had to rely on a lot of different players and a lot of different roles. And usually, those things are an investment and can pay dividends in the future if you approach them the right way.”

The Thunder’s cushion atop the Western Conference standings has shrunk to 3.0 games over the second-place San Antonio Spurs (38-16). Missing two of its three leading scorers, starting center Isaiah Hartenstein and backup guard Ajay Mitchell, the Thunder defense has given up 110+ points in four of the last five games without Gilgeous-Alexander.

Mark Daigneault is confident the Thunder’s recent lull will end up making his team better in the long run as Oklahoma City prepares for what it hopes will be another deep postseason run in pursuit of back-to-back titles.

Mark Daigneault favors a fight with the Thunder over a 24-1 start

The defending champions’ historic 24-1 start proved unsustainable after the Thunder lost four of their next six games. Hopes of watching a Thunder game or beating the Warriors’ 2016 73-9 regular season record for the best in NBA history were quickly dashed. Perhaps for the best for Daigneault and the Thunder, whose plans for the 2025-26 season extend beyond setting a regular-season record.

Ultimately, growing into the best team they can be will always be at the top of the Thunder’s list of priorities. For Daigneault, the Thunder’s current hurdles will help them do just that, and more, when you add in an often-demanding regular-season schedule, including the second night of back-to-back road/home games before the All-Star break.

“Despite the result tonight, I’m pretty happy with the way we handled that adversity,” Daigneault said. “We’ve played a very tight schedule—most of the games in the month after Christmas. We’ve had injuries during that time; we’ve had a lot of ups and downs. And those things, as long as you use them as fuel and as long as you use them productively, can be good for you. So that’s our challenge.”

The All-Star break will give the Thunder players a much-needed break. While there’s no guarantee that Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams will return from their injuries, the defending champions will continue to rely on their depth, along with lessons learned from losing six of their last 11 games.

“Circumstances are what they are. You can’t change circumstances. You have complete control over how you manage them; how you deal with them,” Daigneault added. “This team has always done a great job of that. I think we did a great job. As we go down the stretch, we don’t know what’s coming. We have to continue to have that mindset.”

The Thunder will play at home in three of the first five games after the All-Star break.